Worst injuries in UFC history: Alistair Overeem’s exploded lip, Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s ‘alien’ swelling and Jon Jones’ mangled toe
MMA is a violent sport. Injuries are common with fighters often having to battle through problems leading up to a bout and even cope with those sustained in the Octagon.
There is no surprise, then, that there have been some truly nasty looking injuries suffered in the UFC over the years.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik inflicted some serious pain on Alistair Overeem
Thankfully many look a lot worse than they actually are and the fighters suffer no lasting damage and are able to get back into the ring again.
Alastair Overeem, who returns to the Octagon this weekend to face Augusto Sakai, is one fighter to have suffered a gruesome injury.
Here at talkSPORT.com, we have taken a look back at Overeem’s blow and some of the other most grisly injuries suffered over the years in the promotion.
WARNING: Do not proceed if you are squeamish…
Corey Hill at UFC Fight Night 16 vs Dale Hartt
Hill snapped his tibia and fibula when he attempted a leg kick in this bout in 2008.
His leg bent in angles that should not be possible and he crumbled to the ground in agony and the fight was immediately halted.
Corey Hill snapped his fibula and tibia during the fight
Mark Hominick at UFC 129 vs Jose Aldo
Joe Rogan describe the huge tennis ball-sized blue above Hominick’s right eye as a ‘second head’ on commentary.
The swelling started showing following a series of nasty punches and forearms shots from Aldo.
Incredibly, the doctor did not stop the fight instantly and allowed Hominick to carry on but he eventually lost to the Brazilian.
Mark Hominick was allowed to carry on despite the hematoma
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 vs Frank Mir
The pair met for a rematch in Toronto in 2011 where Mir delivered a sickening arm break on his opponent.
Mir found himself in the mount position and locked in a kimura submission.
Nogueira’s arm bent to an unnatural angle and snapped before he eventually tapped out.
Jon Jones at UFC 159 vs Chael Sonnen
Jones was a 25-year-old beast and Sonnen was a bit of a journeyman 36-year-old, albeit a well-respected one.
The pair were both coaches on season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter so a rivalry had been brewing for a number of weeks before they met.
Jones smashed him in the first round with a TKO victory, but he gruesomely dislocated his big toe in the process, though he was inexplicably able to conduct a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan – as his toe was fixed – with Jones visibly in pain.
“You are a true champion for even attempting to make this work, while you deal with one of the nastiest foot injuries I’ve ever seen,” Rogan said.
Anderson Silva at UFC 168 vs Chris Weidman
Everybody knows about this one and if you don’t, then prepare yourself! Anderson Silva – one of the best ever – was still in his prime when he challenged Weidman in the first defence of his UFC middleweight title in late 2013.
Weidman had stunned the mixed martial arts community when he dethroned Silva six months earlier.
Into the second round of the bout, Silva threw one of his patented kicks, but it was so expertly blocked by Weidman, it stopped Spider in his tracks and yet his leg kept going when his foot had stopped.
That resulted in a clean break of the Brazilian’s shin and the sight of his leg folding to the side horrified audiences everywhere.
Leslie Smith at UFC 180 vs Jessica Eye
In 2014, the two women fought in Mexico City and it seemed like a competitive affair.
Early into round two, though, Eye landed a nasty right hook on Smith and her ear exploded with blood pouring onto the octagon.
Needless to say referee Herb Dean put an end to the fight, with images of Smith’s open ear stomach churning.
Leslie Smith suffered a nasty injury to her ear
Alistair Overeem at UFC on ESPN vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik
With only seconds remaining in the final round of this titanic clash in December 2019, Rozenstruik uncorked a ferocious right hand to put Overeem away that exploded the former heavyweight title challenger’s lip.
Overeem has since had plastic surgery to sort his lip out but the scenes were nothing short of brutal.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 vs Zhang Weili
Jedrzejczyk suffered a nasty swelling above her right eye during her defeat to Weili. Fans remarked she looked like an ‘alien’ due to the hematoma she suffered on her forehead.
She said she suffered ‘no significant injuries’ but returned to Poland to have plastic surgery and has since made a full recovery.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk looked like an alien after the swelling on her forehead got to a serious level
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